Books as Media: The Cultural Economy of Literary Adaptation

This is the first full-length investigation of the adaptation industry--the network of commercial and cultural interests which broker book-to-screen adaptation of creative content. The project analyses authors and author societies, literary agents, book publishers, literary prizes and the film and television production companies which act as gatekeepers in the contemporary cultural economy. It is innovative in rethinking adaptation as a material system produced by a network of stakeholders, rather than simply comparing novels with their screen versions. The research will result in a major new model for mapping flows of adapted creative content, will advance understanding of creative industries, and will inform Australian cultural policy.